Why we Homeschool

HeartSchooling

My heart wants to guide my children in the ways of the Father. It’s the place I silently whisper my prayers and seek advice to stay focused. My heart is filled with love, creative juices, and gentle learning. I store the Scriptures deep within the crevices and hope they pump outwardly in every action as an example for my children to see.

My heart is their schoolroom.

We call our schooling method “HeartSchooling“.

What is HeartSchooling?

In the words of our dearly loved and greatly missed Missey Gray*:

It is more than just “schooling” — more than imparting academic knowledge to our children. It is so much more.

In all our homeschooling efforts, let us not forget our children’s hearts. Let us tie many heart-strings — the more the better — through daily interaction, creating special memories, binding our children to us through love and caring. And let us not forget to guide their hearts toward the Lord, to set their hearts and minds on things above.

The academics are important, but the heart-set is even more so. That’s why I like to say that we are “HeartSchooling” — it puts my focus back where it ought to be and helps me keep my priorities straight.

I hope you will come to enjoy my little blog. I will post more as I can.

Keep loving on your little people!

*Unfortunately HomeschoolBlogger took down their site and dear Missey's words are gone in writing, but have been forever etched upon my heart.

Our Homeschool Philosophy

“Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!”
Deuteronomy 5:29

We believe that the home is the best place for the education of our children. A safe place of love, discipline and nurturing, so that our children will daily, hourly and by the minute experience His Word through not only lesson plans, but by example and hands-on doing and living in His Word.

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"And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD;and great shall be the peace of thy children."
Isaiah 54:13

We believe that the responsibility for training and educating our children rests with the parents and that we are capable by God’s grace to accomplish this task.

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"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."
Deuteronomy 6:7

Educating our children is a continual, year-round process and that textbooks only account for a portion of this education. Living education through field trips, chores & responsibilities, and socially interacting with family and friends is a vital piece to year-round education. We encourage our children to learn everyday and not value the term “vacation” as a break from using their minds and hearts to expand their knowledge and wisdom.

We believe that the ultimate knowledge that can be brought in home education is the salvation of their souls. This belief is the basis for ALL areas of training our children and not just in the subject of Bible. Instead, Bible is the subject in all our subjects of education - Language Arts, History, Science, Fine Arts, et. al.

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“Train up the child in the way he should go:and when he is old,he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6

We believe that it is our responsibility to protect the Hearts of our children from excessive or unmonitored negative peer pressure, various fleshly temptations, and ungodly role models during their formative years - (the years in which our children lack a thorough knowledge of “right and wrong” — the years in which our children are deceived by the hidden sin of temptation.) These formative years we define as the years living in our home, but will always be important as long we call them our children in our lifetime.

We believe that our reward in following His instructions for training the hearts of our children will yield the peace of the Lord in their lives and a joy beyond our dreams to see our children living firmly in His truth.

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“I have no greater joy, than to hear my children walk in truth..”

III John 1:4

We look forward to reaping this harvest of joy!

"God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every Branch of literature and Wisdom."

{Established in our 3rd full year of homeschooling 2002}

I wrote this back in 2002, after our homeschool journey began. We didn't start homeschooling for the reasons above, but Our Father Above changed this vision and His 'beauty full' plan unfolded. He blessed me with mentors, like Missey, that shared His light. The past several years have been full of such struggles, that I forgot to keep this vision at the forefront. Add to that, the pull of all the wonderful homeschool resources (too much) and the glimpses the internet brought into other homeschool rooms, and I allowed it to taint the plan the Father had already put upon my heart. (Comparison truly does steal joy.)

I am choosing to RESTORE this area. It didn't come without learning the hard way - again, but the Father is gentle with me. It's beingrestored only after 2 curriculum changes mid year, prayers, some tears, and encouragement from close friends.